PROJECT DETAILS
The shaped façade of project 35XV – realised utilising WICONA – is an iconic project in Manhattan
The building 35XV, designed by FXCollaborative Architects, is located in Chelsea, downtown Manhattan. It is adapted to the harsh conditions of the city, where spaces to construct new buildings are so scarce that they have started to build in mid‐air. The project began when Alchemy Properties purchased the right to build structures over Xavier High School.
The tower is anchored on a six‐floor basement coated in granite which extends the stairway and the materiality of the context to the street level. A cantilever of 5 metres over the base and 11 metres over the rear patio rises up with a large 19 storey glass residential structure. This area includes 55 luxury homes offering one to four bedrooms, with a community area including a gymnasium, a play area for children and a community terrace on the seventh floor. The careful modulation of the façade, the angled shape of the tower and the glass covering help to reflect the changing sky and seem to make the building disappear. The greatest importance has been given to maximise natural light and this has been achieved thanks to the WICONA WICTEC EL SG modular façade, creating large glazed areas.
WICONA’s WICTEC EL SG to create angled façades
The main feature that sets the building apart from others is its design, comprised of a vertical façade and two inclined façades at different angles. WICONA played a decisive role in the building's façade, since it was necessary to develop a bespoke solution adapted to the building’s design. This was made possible thanks to WICONA’s WICTEC EL SG modular system. The difficulty arose in the corners where there was a need to join planes at different angles. A complex system to join the aluminium profiles was created based on a 3D model developed for this purpose.
The system is also developed to offer high quality, simplicity in production, the best possible features and flexibility in design. Units were fully assembled and sealed at factory, speeding up installation and keeping the quality at high level. Roof windows have also been added to the inclined area.
The triple gasket system guarantees tightness and insulation performances. Modules are installed on 3D adjustment anchors that have previously been aligned.
In short, it is a design that offers residents large, luminous interior spaces with impressive views of the surrounding urban landscape.
The project has received multiple awards, e.g. the Best Tall Building Americas-Award of Excellence by CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat), the American Architecture Award 2018 by Chicago Athenaeum as well as the "Merit" award granted by AIANY Design Awards.
